Stone Walls by A.M. Madden | REVIEW

Title: Stone Walls

Author: A.M. Madden

Review By: Candice 

Stars: 4 

It's really quite rare these days to find a book that has it all: scorching chemistry, likeable MC's, and a decent plot.  And when I say decent plot, I';m talking about a well thought out, well executed story that has drama, suspense,  romance, sex. . .The works.  A story that as a whole has substance.  Stone Walls is one of those books.

The novel, based around the MC's Ben and Ella, not only focuses on their present day lives, but also their devastating pasts.  Pasts that have shaped who they are, and has caused them both to build 'Stone Walls' around their hearts.  They have both suffered immense loss and live with that hurt daily.  

Ben, a tall, dark, handsome, NYC policeman, isn't looking for a relationship.  He lives for his job and is content with emotionless sex - no string attached.  

Ella, while she has had 'relationships', she can';t bring herself to love.  She's closed off, and while independent, she lives in a world of hurt.  

Enter their best friends who are in a serious relationship - Ben';s partner Rob, and Ella';s boss/bf Andrea.  They believe the two are a perfect match, soul mates.  These two are fantastic background characters! 

'I’ve done my job. I’ve given your fate the kick in its ass it needed. I’ve solved the case of your missing soul mate.” 

“You’re hanging around cops too much,” I interrupt.

. . . She openly laughs at me. “Oh, my sweet friend. You think you’ll be able to derail fate? You silly, silly girl.”

Initially Ben and Ella fight the idea. . . and the blatant attraction between them, but the more time they spend together the harder it becomes for them to deny what they both want - each other. 

'I learned two things about Ben while bonding over our Starbucks . First, when he isn’t an arrogant ass, he’s very charming. Second, when he isn’t charming, he’s an arrogant ass.'

Their lives intertwine, both past and present, setting the scene for a story that';s full of suspense, drama, and startling revelations.

Overall the book was great.  I've been in a book rut lately, and this is the first book in a long time that I've managed to finish.  It was intriguing enough to keep me guessing and keep me interested. 

Admittedly there were things that fell short for me, but nothing substantial enough to affect the overall rating of the book. 

It started off portraying both Ella and Ben as quite feisty, strong characters; He was a 'prick' she was a 'bitch';.   Over the course of the book, those traits dulled somewhat, and I found myself wanting those attitudes to return. They got quite sappy on me.  

 There are also quite a few long flashbacks scattered throughout.  I';m not a huge fan of flashbacks, but it seemed to work here.  However, due to the majority of the flashbacks being Ben';s, it did emphasize the fact that his story wasn't wrapped up as thoroughly as Ella's was.   

Other than that, I really enjoyed their story.  

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